SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE.

Under this head will be given a variety of plans of school-houses for schools of different grades, which have been erected, not only in Rhode Island, but in other parts of New England, on the general principles set forth in the Document on School Houses, appended to the First Annual Report of the Commissioner of Public Schools, and published in the FIRST VOLUME OF THE JOURNAL OF THE RHODE ISLAND INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION. These plans, and the pages deyoted to APPARATUS, and LIBRARY, and other matters connected with school houses, published in this and the second volume of the Journal, comprise the contents of the volume printed by the Commissioner, with the title of "SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE."

INGRAHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL-HOUSE, BOSTON.

The Schoolhouse, to which the following description and plans more particularly refer, is situated in Sheafe street, at the north part of the City, and on the slope of Copp's Hill, famed in our Revolutionary history. It occupies a space of twenty-six by fifty-three feet, exclusive of the play-ground in front, between it and the street, which is sixteen by fifty-three feet. This front is hardly long enough. Sixty feet would have been much better. The main building is twenty-six by forty-four feet; and there are projections at each end, one on the west, four and a half by sixteen and a half feet, containing the privies, and one at the east end, three and a half by twenty-one and a half feet, in which is the passage from the lower schoolroom to the playground.

The building is three stories in height. Each story contains a Schoolroom, Recitation-rooms, Closets, Entries, and Privies, and is finished twelve feet high, in the clear. Each Schoolroom is lighted by four windows, which are all on one side. The first floor is set eighteen inches above the ground at the front of the building. The Cellar is finished seven and a half feet high, in the clear; and its floor is on a level with the surface of the ground at the back of the building, where is the entrance-door to the first story.

The Schoolrooms in the first and second stories are thirty feet in length, by twenty-two feet and four inches in width, and contain six hundred and seventy square feet of floor. That in the third story is thirty-two feet in length, by twenty-two feet and nine inches in breadth, and contains seven hundred and thirty square feet of floor. Thus allowing from ten to twelve or thirteen square feet of floor, and one hundred and fifty cubic feet of air, to each scholar.

The following diagram will show the arrangement of the ground-floor, with the Play-ground in front.

The following references will apply to the ground-plan of each of the three stories.

1, Entrance to First Story, by a door under the window W, the back part of the building being eight feet lower than the front.

2, 3, Entrance-doors to the Second and Third Stories.

A, A, A, Stairs to First Story, from the Entrance-door 1.

B, Blinds in Boys' Privies.

F, Fireplace or Furnace-flue, or Stove, when one is used instead of a Furnace. G, G, Entrance-gates to Second and Third Stories. The Iron Fence extends the whole length of the front on the street, broken only by these two gates.

R, R, Recitation-rooms, or spaces used for that purpose. In the first story, that on the right being the entrance-passage to the schoolroom, and that on the left, the passage to the Second Story.

S, S, S, S, Large Slates, measuring four by two and a half feet, affixed to the walls, instead of Blackboards.

T, T, T, Trees in Play-ground. That near the fence, is an old horse-chestnut tree. U, Umbrella stands. The place of those of the second story only are shown. In the other stories, they are also in the entrance-passages.

W, W, Windows.

a, Stairs to Second Story.

b, b, b, In second story, Entry, and place for Boys' Clothes-hooks, also used as a Recitation-room. In third story, place for Clothes-hooks.

c, In second story, Door into the Recitation-room where are the Sink and Girls' Clothes-hooks. In third story, Door into Recitation-room where is the Brush Closet and entrance to Girls' Privy.

d, d, d, In second story, Girls' Clothes-hooks.

e, Sinks.

f, Privy for Girls.

g, Privy for Boys.

h, Trough in ditto.

i, i, Space between the walls of the Privies and main building, for more perfect ventilation, and cutting off of any unpleasant odor. [This space is here too much contracted, on account of the want of room. It would be much better, if greatly increased.] k, Entrance-door to Schoolroom, through which, only, scholars are allowed to enter In third story, the passage from the stairs to the Entrance-door is through the Recitation-room.

1, Teachers' Platforms, six feet wide and twelve feet long, raised seven inches from the floors.

m, Teachers' Tables.

n, Ventiduct. That for each room is in the centre of that room. These are better shown in the diagram representing the Ventilating arrangement, (p. 183.)

o, o, Closets, in the vacant spaces on the sides of the Ventiducts, in the First and Second Stories. In first story, they are on each side of the Ventiduct; in second story only on one side. In the third story, there are of course none. See the diagram of the Ventilating arrangement, (p. 183.)

P,P, Ventiducts for other rooms. In plan of second story, p shows the position of the Ventiduct for first story. In third story plan, pp show the positions of those for both the lower stories.

9,9, 9, Childrens' chairs, arranged in the second story. Their form is represented in another diagram, (p. 181.)

r, s, t, Hot-air Flues from the Furnace, Cold-air Flues if Stoves are used, and Smoke Flues. These will be better understood by a reference to the diagram explanatory of the Chimney Pier, (p. 182.)

u, u, Cabinets for Minerals, Shells, and other objects of Natural History or Curiosity. v, Door of Recitation-room. In first story, this door leads to the entry in which are the Sink, Brush-Closet, entrance to the Privies, and passage to Second Story. In second story, it leads to the Recitation-room where is the Teacher's Press-closet; and in the third story, to that in which are the Sink, entrance to the Privies, and Stairs to the Attic.

w, Teacher's Press-closet, fitted with shelves and brass clothes-hooks.

z, Closet for Brooms, Brushes, Coalhods, &c. That for the first story is under the Second-Story stairs.

a, a, a, Stairs to the Third Story.

b, b, Doors connecting First and Second, and Second and Third Stories.

f, Place for Fountain, in the centre of the Play-ground.

g, g: g, Grass-plats, or Flower-beds.

P, Passage from the First-Story Schoolroom to the Play-ground.

The Plan of the second story, on the next page, is drawn on a larger scale, for greater convenience in showing all the arrangements. The references on this diagram are more copious and minute than on either of the others.

The building fronts nearly N. N. E., and of course all the light comes into the Schoolrooms from the North. At the same time, in order to secure the benefit of the winds that prevail in Summer, and the admission of "a streak of sunshine," which adds so much to the cheerfulness of any room, and particularly of a schoolroom, there are windows in the back or southerly wall, opening into the recitation-rooms or entries, through which, and the entrance-doors, the sunlight finds its way into each schoolroom. The Neapolitan proverb, "Where the sun does not come, the physician must," has not been lost sight of; though it must be confessed that we have not been able to pay so much attention to it as would be desirable.

The next diagram, which is on the same scale with the first, will show the arrangement of the third story, which differs from the first and second in having a larger schoolroom, and more space for recitation-rooms; less space being occupied for stairways than in the other stories. The partitions at the ends are set one foot each way nearer to the ends of the building, making the Schoolroom thirty-two feet in length, while the others are only thirty.

It will be seen, that the ends of the building are cut off from the schoolrooms, by entries, stairways, recitation-rooms, &c., and the back and end walls are left blank, for convenience in displaying Maps, Charts, Pictures, &c., and for the large Slates, used instead of Blackboards. As ample provision, as was practicable, has been made for recitation-rooms, closets, and other necessary conveniences.

It will be seen, from the Plans of the different Stories, that the Entrancedoor (k) to each Schoolroom is in that part of the partition nearest to the back walls; so that, on entering the room, the Teacher's Platform is directly before the scholar or visiter. This Platform is six feet wide and twelve feet long, and is raised seven inches above the floor, that being a sufficient height to give the Teacher a full view of the whole school. In the transverse-sectional elevation, (p. 184,) the raised Platform is shown at P.

On this Platform, is a Table, (m,) instead of a Desk, that being the more convenient article for the Teacher's use. On it, are constantly kept, in full view of the scholars, THE LAWS OF THE SCHOOL,-the Holy Bible, the Rule and Guide of Life, the Moral and Religious Law; the Dictionary, the Law of Language, the Authority for Orthography and Orthoepy; and the Rules and Regulations of the Committee. These should be always on every Teacher's table or desk, and should be frequently appealed to. On this Table, also, are the Record Book of the School, Ink-standish, Table Bell, and other necessary articles.